OKEECHOBEE — Stressing his experience with management and with law enforcement, Jon Folbrecht believes he is the best choice for sheriff of Okeechobee County.
Originally from Fort Pierce, Folbrecht moved to Okeechobee with his mother when he was 16. Because his brother was only 6 years old, Folbrecht had to take care of him so his mother could work and was unable to attend school himself.
Not allowing this to slow him down, Folbrecht worked on getting his GED through Indian River Community College. By the time he achieved this, his mother felt their family life was stable enough for him to move on to the next stage in his life, and he joined the Army at age 17.
Trained as a parachute rigger, Folbrecht served three and a half years in the Army but injured his knee at Fort Benning during a nighttime jump. Folbrecht had knee surgery and was honorably discharged in 2002 at the age of 21.
Folbrecht, who said he always dreamed of being a cop, decided to go into law enforcement and started out in corrections. This was followed by work in road patrol, traffic, investigations and administration.
With 20 years of experience in law enforcement and corrections, Folbrecht lists chief of police, facility administrator, chief executive officer and chief operating officer as some of his career highlights.
In 2003, Folbrecht started with the Florida Department of Corrections and left there in 2004 to work for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Working in MCSO’s Juvenile Boot Camp, he stayed there until 2006 when all the juvenile boot camps in Florida were closed by the government. Transferring over to the law enforcement side of the agency, he became a deputy and served until 2016, when he was hired as police chief in a small town called Welaka.
Folbrecht said this experience did not go well and he resigned not long after he was hired due to a conflict with the mayor. “It was a mess there,” said Folbrecht. “It was very backward and disorganized.” Things came to a head when the mayor told Folbrecht he had to “unarrest” some people, Folbrecht explained.
Not wanting to go back to Martin County, Folbrecht chose instead to do some freelance writing and then went back into corrections, accepting a position in January 2018 as facility administrator of TrueCore Behavioral Solutions in Highlands County. In this capacity, he managed the day-to-day operations of 150 personnel in the areas of mental health services, security, food service, human resources and transportation. “Before I got there, that place was in shambles,” he said. “It had a horrible reputation, fights, riots, stuff on fire.” Because he had experience with corrections, Folbrecht felt he could do the job. “We had a $42 million budget. When I first got there, my buddy, who was the former administrator, just gave me the keys and told me to have fun.” Within his first couple months, Folbrecht said he replaced a good portion of the staff and filled about 50 vacancies. “My budget had finally come into balance, and I was able to save us a considerable amount of money.” Unfortunately, he said, TrueCore’s contract was not renewed, and the facility was scheduled to close. Not wanting to be a part of letting his staff go, Folbrecht resigned.
When asked what experience qualified him to be Okeechobee’ s next sheriff, Folbrecht replied, “I am a certified law enforcement officer in good standing with the Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission. I have 20 years of law enforcement and corrections experience. Some of that experience is at the executive and command level. I am currently an Adjunct Instructor at Indian River State College, this is my 11th year. I teach various classes about leadership and management. And, I am a graduate of the Leadership Academy from Indian River State College.”
If elected, Folbrecht has many plans for the future of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. With no plans to walk in and fire anyone, he said there was a place for any employee who wanted to stay. “When we restructure the sheriff’s office, it will allow for the creation of new units such as a commercial motor vehicle unit, domestic violence detectives, community engagement deputies, a warrant detective unit and agriculture deputies.”
Among the programs he plans to begin are the Inmate Family Advocacy Program, PAL Program for kids
The Inmate Family Advocacy Program involves creating a new position in the jail who will work with the families to help them navigate the judicial system. This person will answer questions about the status and well-being of the inmates who are currently incarcerated. “After a public records request, I discovered 10 inmates have died in the county jail since Noel Stephen became undersheriff in 2005. Seven of those inmates died between 2019 and May of this year. I want the inmates’ loved ones to have access to someone who can tell them what is happening with their loved one,” said Folbrecht. “I also plan to see that the jail becomes fully accredited as well. I believe this should have been the first priority.” In a Facebook post, he wrote, “Why didn't the jail get a Corrections Accreditation? Is this something being worked on? I don't believe so since I received a records request stating that the jail doesn't even have a Field Training Program policy. But NOW they will shift to getting the jail accredited. If it took almost three years to get Law Enforcement Accredited, then why didn't they focus on getting the jail accredited first? Lives could have been saved. I wonder if it is possible to get the jail accredited with seven inmates dying in the last five years?”
Community Advisory meetings are a priority for Folbrecht. These meetings will be held quarterly in different locations throughout the community. Residents can attend the meetings to discuss the operations of the sheriff’s office. “This will give community members a voice.” He also plans to create a unit specifically for community engagement. “This unit will be stationed in various neighborhoods throughout the county and will be tasked with building a partnership with the community. This will encourage communication and aid the sheriff’s office in proactive policing.”
Folbrecht is also passionate about the rights of the people, and when he discovered that some community members have been blocked from the sheriff’s office Facebook page, he wrote, “As your Sheriff, I will protect your 1st Amendment right to free speech and your 6th Amendment right to a fair trial. This Social Media Tyranny by Sheriff Noel Stephen must stop!”
When Folbrecht was accused of mudslinging and running a negative campaign, he said, “I understand it comes across as negative, but the things I am bringing to light are things the public has a right to know. How will they know if no one has the courage to talk about it?”
Folbrecht and his wife Kasey have three children, Nichole, Jonathan and Jachin. Jonathan, who was the battalion commander of the JROTC at Okeechobee High School last year, recently joined the Space Force. When he is not busy working or campaigning, Folbrecht enjoys spending time with his family.
With a desire to serve his community while also spending time with his children, Folbrecht spent years coaching soccer, baseball and softball for local organizations.
Because he saw firsthand, as a law enforcement officer, the toll domestic violence takes on families, Folbrecht accepted the opportunity to serve on the board of directors of Martha’s House. Folbrecht found himself appointed president of the board and helped with transitioning Jonathan Bean back into the position of executive director. He served in this capacity from 2012-2014.
This is not Folbrecht’s first run for public office. He ran for sheriff in 2012 and for city council in 2022 but was unsuccessful in those races.
![Jon Folbrecht is running for Okeechobee County Sheriff..[Photo courtesy Jon Folbrecht]](/uploads/original/20240718-105026-58f-Jon Folbrecht.jpg)
